Roosevelt Island, formerly Blackwell’s Island (and later Welfare Island), has had many layers of medical history. From the construction of the almshouses in the 1830s onward, the island has housed the ill, displaced, criminals and unwanted poor of the city. [Read more…] about Roosevelt Island and Public Health History
Roosevelt Island Historical Society
Historic Preservation, Architecture on Roosevelt Island
Architect Thomas Fenniman is set to speak on historic preservation and architecture on Roosevelt Island, on Thursday, January 17th at 6:30 pm, at the New York Public Library Branch on Roosevelt Island, NY.
Historic preservation combines multiple disciplines: architecture, design, knowledge of period materials and construction techniques, plus communication to manage the process of building owners, regulators and the masons and builders who perform the work. [Read more…] about Historic Preservation, Architecture on Roosevelt Island
Willard Suitcases Update: A Roosevelt Island Lecture
A lecture by John Crispin on the famed Willard Psychiatric Center suitcases has been set for Thursday, May 10th at 6:30 pm at the New York Public Library Branch on Roosevelt Island, led .
When Willard Psychiatric Center closed in New York’s Finger Lakes in 1995, an employee discovered a large collection of suitcases in storage in an attic. Many of these pieces of luggage contained the personal belongings of former patients. [Read more…] about Willard Suitcases Update: A Roosevelt Island Lecture
Controversy Over Proposed Roosevelt Island Sign
The Roosevelt Island Historical Society has issued a call for action to oppose a proposed “RI” art-piece dubbed a “Welcome Monument” planned for placement outside the Roosevelt Island Historical Society Visitor Center Kiosk.
The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) is now soliciting public comments to gauge community support for the proposed 3-D, 10-foot-tall RI welcome-monument / sign. [Read more…] about Controversy Over Proposed Roosevelt Island Sign
Blissville: Fascinating Corner of Long Island City
The Roosevelt Island Historical Society will host a film screening and discussion with Documentarian Hank Linhard on Blissville: Hidden Corner of Long Island City, on Thursday, November 9th at 6:30 pm at the Roosevelt Island Library.
The one-hour film Blissville takes a close-up look at a hidden corner of Roosevelt Island’s nearby neighbor, Long Island City (LIC). [Read more…] about Blissville: Fascinating Corner of Long Island City
Roosevelt Island Lecture: History of Affordable Housing in NYC
The Roosevelt Island Historical Society (RIHS) has invited the public to the first of four free lectures: Eastwood and the History of Affordable Housing in New York City by Matthias Altwicker, Architect, at the New York Public Library Branch on Roosevelt Island, on Thursday, October 12, 2017 at 6:30 pm.
In this lecture, architect Matthias Altwicker who is Associate Professor and Chair at the School of Architecture and Design of the New York Institute of Technology, will discuss the history of Eastwood and the contributions of its designer, noted architect Josep Lluís Sert, then Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Mr. Altwicker will also discuss the origins and progress of affordable housing in New York City. [Read more…] about Roosevelt Island Lecture: History of Affordable Housing in NYC
NYC Triboro Hospital: Photographs and Impressions
The Roosevelt Island Historical Society will host a free lecture by Charles Giraudet, entitled Triboro Hospital: Photographs and Impressions on Thursday, May 4, 2017 at 6:30 pm at the New York Public Library Branch on Roosevelt Island.
Triboro Hospital, located in Jamaica, Queens, was built to specialize in the treatment of tuberculosis. The facility, which was designed in 1937 and opened in 1941, was constructed during the same era as Welfare (now Roosevelt) Island’s Goldwater Hospital. [Read more…] about NYC Triboro Hospital: Photographs and Impressions
Tour of the Three New Second Avenue Subway Stations Planned
On Sunday, March 19, Roosevelt Island Historical Society president Judy Berdy will lead a tour of the three new Second Avenue Subway Stations in New York City: 72nd, 86th and 96th Streets.
This tour provides an opportunity to admire the artwork and innovation of this dramatic expansion of public transportation. [Read more…] about Tour of the Three New Second Avenue Subway Stations Planned
NYC Lecture Series Begins With ‘East River’ Thursday
The Roosevelt Island Historical Society begins its Fall Lecture Series with a presentation on the commercial and cultural significance of the river and channel that surround Roosevelt Island and separate Manhattan and Queens.
Bob Singleton, Executive Director of the Greater Astoria Historical Society, will cover the East River from Governors Island to Fort Totten in a lecture at the New York Public Library Branch on Roosevelt Island, on Thursday, September 8, 2016, at 6:30 pm. [Read more…] about NYC Lecture Series Begins With ‘East River’ Thursday